Method of and a device for protecting a motor in a pod against shaft bending shocks

1. A method of protecting an electric motor in a pod unit for propulsion of marine vessels against shaft bending shocks, said method comprising:

fitting to the electric motor at least two members, which together form a radial plain bearing having mating arcuate bearing surfaces, wherein said motor has a drive shaft with first and second shaft bearings, and a rotor and a stator located between the first and second shaft bearings, wherein during normal operation of the motor the at least two members are spaced from one another by an air gap, and wherein extreme shaft bending shocks tend to momentarily bend the drive shaft to such an extent that the at least two members come in contact with one another only at extreme shock loads with short duration, wherein the contact between the at least two members prevents the stator from contacting the rotor;

wherein at least one of the at least two members is an inner member having a circular circumference constituting one of the arcuate bearing surfaces, the inner member having its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor and rotary therewith, and at least one other of the members is an outer member, which is fixed in relation to the stator and also has its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor, and

wherein the inner member is formed of a first material and the outer member is formed of a second material, wherein the first material has greater hardness than the second material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outer member comprises a plurality of segments formed of the second material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second material is fitted as a circumferential band on an inner surface of the stator.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the inner member is a ring.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the ring is arranged on a dedicated device of the motor.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the dedicated device of the motor is a brake disc.

7. A device for protecting an electric motor in a pod unit for propulsion of marine vessels against shaft bending shocks, the device comprising:

at least two members, which together form a radial plain bearing having mating arcuate bearing surfaces,

wherein said motor has a drive shaft with first and second shaft bearings, and a rotor and a stator located between the first and second shaft bearings, wherein the electric motor and the at least two members are configured such that during normal operation of the motor, the at least two members are spaced from one another by a gas gap, and when subjected to extreme shaft bending shocks the drive shaft tends to momentarily bend to such an extent that the at least two members come in contact with one another only at extreme shock loads with short duration, wherein the contact between the at least two members prevents the stator from contacting the rotor; and

wherein at least one of the at least two members is an inner member having a circular circumference constituting one of the arcuate bearing surfaces, the inner member having its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor and rotary therewith, and at least one other of the at least two members is an outer member, which is fixed in relation to the stator and also has its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor,

wherein the at least two members are located at an axial location at an end of the electric motor closest to a propeller of the pod unit.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the inner member is formed of a first material and the outer member is formed of a second material, wherein the first material has greater hardness than the second material, and wherein the second material is non-conductive to electricity.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the outer member comprises a plurality of segments formed of the second material.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the second material is fitted as a circumferential band on an inner surface of the stator.

11. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the inner member is a ring.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the ring is arranged on a dedicated device of the motor.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the dedicated device of the motor is a brake disc.

14. A pod unit for propulsion of marine vessels, the pod unit comprising:

an electric motor, comprising

a rotor;

a stator;

a drive shaft; and

two first members, which together form a first radial plain bearing having mating arcuate bearing surfaces;

two second members, which together form a second radial plain bearing having mating arcuate bearing surfaces;

wherein the electric motor, the two first members, and the two second members are configured such that during normal operation of the motor, the two first members are spaced from one another by a first gas gap, the two second members are spaced from one another by a second gas gap, and when subjected to extreme shaft bending shocks the drive shaft tends to momentarily bend to such an extent that the two first members come in contact with one another and the two second members come into contact with each other only at extreme shock loads with short duration, wherein the contact between the two first members and the contact between the two second members prevents the stator from contacting the rotor;

wherein one of the two first members is an inner first member having a circular circumference constituting one of the arcuate bearing surfaces, the inner first member having its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor and rotary therewith, and the other of the two first members is an outer first member, which is fixed in relation to the stator and also has its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor; wherein the inner first member is formed of a first material and the outer first member is formed of a second material, wherein the first material has greater hardness than the second material, and wherein the second material is non-conductive to electricity; and

wherein one of the two second members is an inner second member having a circular circumference constituting one of the arcuate bearing surfaces, the inner second member having its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor and rotary therewith, and the other of the two second members is an outer second member, which is fixed in relation to the stator and also has its arcuate bearing surface coaxial with the rotor; wherein the inner second member is formed of a first material and the outer second member is formed of a second material, wherein the first material has greater hardness than the second material, and wherein the second material is non-conductive to electricity; and

wherein the two first members are located at an axial location at an end of the electric motor closest to a propeller of the pod unit; and

wherein the two second members are located at an axial location at an end of the electric motor farthest from a propeller of the pod unit.

15. A pod unit according to claim 14 , wherein each of the outer first member and the outer second member comprises a plurality of segments formed of the second material.

16. A pod unit according to claim 14 , wherein each of the inner first member and the inner second member is a ring.

17. A pod unit according to claim 16 , wherein each ring is arranged on a dedicated device of the electric motor.